Czech Constitutional Court orders President Pavel to attend NATO summit in Ankara

The Czech Constitutional Court issued a provisional measure requiring the government to guarantee President Petr Pavel’s participation in the NATO summit in Ankara. Pavel insists that, as head of state, he automatically leads the Czech delegation and will decide independently which parts of the summit to attend. The government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, initially omitted the president from the delegation and has disputed the court’s intervention.

The dispute has sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties and politicians. ODS leader Martin Kupka described the confrontation as a “desperate cabaret” and warned it damages the country’s image. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka labeled the court’s move an “attempted constitutional coup,” while fellow minister Filip Turek called for reform of the court’s composition. Numerous commentators and party officials have called for both the president and the prime minister to set aside personal egos and resolve the conflict, emphasizing the importance of a unified Czech representation at NATO during the ongoing war in Ukraine.